Penstemon plant named ‘Crushed Grapes’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Penstemon  plant characterized by purple flowers on numerous, very short, flowering stems, and with a compact habit.

Botanical classification: Penstemon spp.

Variety denomination: ‘Crushed Grapes’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of a suffrutescent perennial, Penstemon hybrid, and is given the cultivar name, ‘Crushed Grapes’. Penstemon are in the family Scrophulariaceae. This new cultivar which originated as an open pollinated seedling from Penstemon ‘Sweet Grapes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,549) progeny. Selections had been made yearly to improve the habit by making it more compact as well as to increase the bloom number, the number of inflorescences, and to reduce the height of the flower stalks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new cultivar is characterized by:

-   -   1) Deep purple flowers.     -   2) High flower number on a tight inflorescence.     -   3) Persistent basal foliage with a compact habit.     -   4) Numerous short flowering stalks.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by tip cuttings using standard propagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a two-year-old Penstemon ‘Crushed Grapes’ growing in the ground in full sun in the trial garden in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon hybrid based on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—Compact basal rosette.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—15 cm tall and 35 cm wide, not including bloom.         -   Habit.—Suffrutescent, foliage doesn't die down in the             winter.         -   Vigor.—Good.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, white in color, White             155A. Roots develop slowly from stem cuttings. -   Stem leaves:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite on internodes growing to 4 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Entire, somewhat undulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate, tips often curl to one side.         -   Base.—Sessile.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 9 to 13 cm long and 14 to 18 mm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous, shiny.         -   Leaf color.—Deep green, between Yellow Green 147A and Green             137A top and bottom, with prominent main vein on bottom,             Yellow Green 145B. -   Basal leaves: Same as above except internodes only grow to 0.5 cm     and leaves only grow to 5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, petiolate,     petioles 3 mm long and 1 mm wide, Yellow Green 145B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Thyrse, virgate and weakly secund.         -   Number of flowers.—30 to 40 per thyrse.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 20 cm tall and 6 mm wide, between Yellow             Green 145B, glabrous (see Stem leaves above for leaves).         -   Pedicel.—Grows to 1 cm long, glabrous, Yellow Green 145B.         -   Bloom period.—June to July. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3 cm long and 8 mm wide.         -   Description.—Closed tubular, bulging.         -   Color.—Purple 77A. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate, with a narrow tube for 5 mm,             inflating for 16 mm, flaring into the lobes, the two top             lobes shallowly cut and three bottom more deeply divided,             flare down, and curl back at the sides.         -   Size.—3.5 cm long and 17 mm wide at flare.         -   Color.—Purple 77A on upper lobes and tube with White 155D in             a band at the base of the lower lobes and Purple 77B on             lower lobes, back side is Purple 77B.         -   Calyx.—5 lobes, cut ⅔ to base, overlapping, ovate shaped             lobes, margins irregularly serrate, acuminate tip,             campanulate, 5 mm deep and 3.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 145A.         -   Stamen.—5, one sterile without an anther, held within the             corolla, filaments 20 mm long, White 155A, bearded Purple             70A on top side and Purple 75A on bottom side, anthers 2.5             mm long, pollen Yellow White 158B.         -   Pistil.—2 cm long, ovary 3 mm long and Yellow Green 146C,             style 15 mm, Yellow White 158D.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—Each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Capsule.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Size.—1.2 cm deep and 4 mm wide.         -   Color.—Brown 200A to B. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Irregular.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Brown 200A. -   Disease and pest resistance: Excellent disease tolerance to root     rot, a common problem for Penstemon. Leaf spot, rust, and powdery     mildew may be a problem, but have not been observed on Penstemon     ‘Crushed Grapes’.

Comparisons to Similar Penstemon

Compared to Penstemon ‘Sweet Grapes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,549), this new cultivar has shorter and more numerous flowering stems. 

1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant substantially as shown and described. 